479. Nkisi Nkondi Power Figure - late 1800s/early 1900s - Kongo, around Mayombe, Bas-Congo, DR Congo

Power figures, aka nail fetishes, were Kongolese spiritual artifacts created as early as the mid 1800s. The carved figures housed a spirit. Each nail driven into the figure is represents an agreement or solution (i.e., in matters of illness, disagreement, etc.) on behalf of one or more community members.